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australia 'won't sell uranium to india' Australia 'won't sell uranium to India'
March 3, 2006

Australia will not sell uranium to India until it signs the nuclear non-proliferation treaty (NPT), Foreign Minister Alexander Downer says.

India has called on Australia to change its long-held uranium export policy after signing a pact to buy nuclear technology from the US.

The call comes on the eve of a visit to India by Prime Minister John Howard.

Mr Downer applauded the US deal, saying it would open India's civilian nuclear industry to United Nations inspectors.

Australia holds the world's largest uranium reserves and has two major safeguards for uranium export: countries must be signatories of the NPT, and must have a bilateral safeguards deal with Australia.

"It would be asking us to take quite a big step to change our policy on uranium exports to include countries that haven't signed the NPT," Mr Downer told reporters in Adelaide.

"I think elements of the Australian community would feel uncomfortable with that and to be honest with you, I think it has been a good policy and has served us well for 30 years and we don't have any plans to change it."

Mr Downer described the US-India agreement as a "very important step forward".

"What it does do is it draws India into the mainstream of the international community in opening up its civil nuclear program to UN inspection," he said.

Australian uranium industry experts backed the government's position.

The Uranium Information Centre said while India was potentially a significant market, it couldn't see Australia changing its policy.

"We have very strict rules and we take some pride in this," the centre's general manager Ian Hore-Lacy said.

"There wouldn't be any political will on either side of the politics to change that in the foreseeable future.

"Australia wouldn't even initiate negotiations on a bilateral agreement without the NPT."

Major uranium miner Energy Resources of Australia (ERA) also supported the government position.

"We currently have no dealings with India," ERA chief executive Harry Kenyon-Slaney said.

"We take our lead, as with all safeguard issues, from the Australian government."

© 2006 AAP

http://www.theage.com.au/news/National/Australia-wont-sell-uranium-to-India/2006/03/03/1141191821626.html

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